Toe plate for ski bindings



June 21, 1949. E. H. CARROLL 2,473,637

TOE PLATE FOR SKI BINDINGS Filed March 10, 1945 Fig. 3

so 42 A;

INVENITOR.

ELB ;RT H. CARROLL Patented June 21, 1949 ,1

TOE PLATE FOR SKI BINDINGS Elbert H. Carroll, West Boylston, Mass.; Howard W. Cowee andElizabeth 0. Carroll, executors of said Elbert H. Carroll, deceased, assignors to Carroll Pressed Metal Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 10, 1945, Serial No. 581,977

7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and improved constructions in toe plates for ski bindings.

Objects of the invention include the provision of improved constructions providing for adjustment of the side plates in combination with means for quickly and positively locking the plates in position relative to the ski, said side plates being adjustable both laterally and angularly relative to the ski.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of positive locking means for a toe plate construction as aforesaid and embodying manual means for separating integral parts of the side plates into firm locking toothed engagement with stationary complementary toothed abutments.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view-of a toe plate embodying a form of the invention, the cover plate being removed;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 but including the cover plate;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the cams; and

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings there is a ski represented at ID. A base plate I2 is provided to rest directly on the ski l8, and this base plate is provided with an upturned flange l4 at the rear thereof and with a pair of spaced upturned flanges l6 at the front end thereof; said base plate extending forwardly between the spaced flanges I6 to provide a boss [8 for a purpose to be described. The base plate is held to the ski by means of screws 28 which extend through front and rear abutments 22. These abutments have inwardly facing teeth as shown at 24.

A pair of side plates 26 are provided for adjustment in and out laterally of the ski and the base plate and also for angular adjustment relative thereto. Each side plate 26 is provided with a spaced pair of inwardly directed tangs, one at the rear as at 28 and one at the front as at 38, it being noted that the tangs 28-38 may be formed integrally with the side plates 26 and are disposed horizontally on the base plate l2. Also, it will be noted that the tangs 28-38 are relatively widely spaced as best seen in Fig. 1 and that the spacing of the tangs 28-38 extends substantially to the side plates 26.

Disposed in the spaces between tangs 28-38 actly alike. Each cam 32 is provided with a downwardly struck collar 34 which is circular in form and lies in a slot 36 in the base plate so that the cams are capable of pivoting and a longitudinal sliding movement but are restricted from lateral movement relative to the base plate. Each cam 32 has a generally triangular form so that it bears for rocking movement on the adjacent edges of tangs 28 and 38 as at 38 and 48 so that upon rocking movement cams 32 will force tangs 28 and 38 apart.

An equalizer plunger 42 is disposed between the two tangs 36 and this plunger is movable longitudinally between the tangs 38 and is also guided by a pair of struck-up elements 44 on the base plate. A manually rotatable cam 46 is pivotally disposed on the boss I8 by means of a collar 48 struck up therefrom and acting as a bearing therefor, cam 46 being provided with a handle 5!]. Cam 46 is in the form of an eccentric.

As shown in Fig. 1 the side plate tangs are free of toothed abutments 22, it only being necessary to manually move the side plates slightly forwardly to free plates 28 from the rear abutment. The action of the cams will force the equalizer to the right when handle 50 is moved counter clock- Wise toward the unlocking position shown in Fig. 1, and conversely cam 46 will move the equalizer to the left and will thus equally rock cams 32 to spread tangs 28 and 38 upon clockwise movement of the handle from the Fig. 1 position to the locking position, shown in dotted lines. A cover plate extends over the elements above described and this cover plate, indicated at 52, overlies the end flanges l4 and I 6 as well as cam 46. The cover plate is secured by means of screws 54 extending through slots 56 in the tangs 28-38, these slots providing for the adjustable movements of the side plates on the base plate. Tangs 28 and 30 as well as cam 46 may be slightly thicker than the abutments 22 so that screws 54 may be utilized to finally tightly clamp all of the parts in the position desired.

The dotted lines at 58 in Fig. 1 illustrate the slight flexing of side plates 26 when the cams 32 are utilized to spread tangs 28 and 30 apart into their toothed locking engagement with abutments 22 and it will be clear that cam 46 may be arranged so that when the parts are clamped the high point of the eccentric will have passed a dead center to hold cam 46 in locking position. The tangs impart a tension on side plates 26 which insures return of the tangs to unlocking position when the eccentric is moved to release there are a pair of cams 32, these cams being exthe tangs.

The above description will be seen to provide an easily actuated and positive locking device for toe plates which requires no tools and provides for automatic unlocking of the tangs from the abutments due to the spring tension of the side plates. It is to be understood that the parts 28, 30, either one or both, need not be integrai with the side plates 26, in order to carry out the invention; on the other hand, these parts could be pivoted or otherwise mademovable relative to the side plates.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. Adjustable toe irons for skis comprising a pair of abutments for securement to a ski in spaced relation thereon, a pair of upstanding side plates, a pair of spaced tangs on each side plate and means to move the tangs into engagement with the abutments against resistance imparted by the side plates.

2. Adjustable toe irons for skis comprising a pair of spaced generally parallel abutments, a pair of upstanding side plates, inwardly directed spaced tangs on each side plate integral therewith, said tangs being located between the abutments and said tangs and side plates being movable for adjustment thereof, and manually operated means between the tangs of each side plate for moving the tangs into locking engagement with the abutments.

3. Adjustable toe irons for skis comprising a pair of spaced abutments, a pair of side plates located between the 'abutments, each side plate including a pair of spaced tangs overlying the ski, means to force each pair of tangs apart, thus flexin the side plates to impart a tension thereto, and interengaging means between the tangs and abutments to lock the side plates in tensioned condition thereof.

4. Adjustable toe irons for skis comprising a pair of opposed side plates, inwardly directed spaced tangs integral with each side plate, means interposed between the tangs for exerting pressure thereon to relatively move the same, and means for engaging and locking the tangs when moved.

5. Adjustable toe irons for skis comprising a pair of upstanding side plates, tangs extending from each side plate toward the other side plate over the ski, means to force the tangs of each side plate apart, thus flexing and tensioning the latter, and means locking the tangs when spread, said side plates returning the tangs to normal relative position upon release of said side plate flexing means.

6. Adjustable toe irons as recited in claim 5 including a cover plate and means to clamp the cover plate and tangs to the ski.

7. Adjustable toe irons for skis comprising a pair of side plates, spaced tangs on each side plate and integral therewith for adjustable securement to a ski, cam means adapted to move the tangs against resistance imparted by the side plate, means to actuate the cam means, and means engaging and locking the tangs in moved condition thereof.

ELBERT H. CARROLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following referemces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,093,044 Gresvig Sept. 14, 1937 2,275,913 Leith Mar, 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 63,137 Norway Jan. 20, 1941 98,787 Sweden Apr. 30, 1940 157,066 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1932 

